CD Review: Styx – The Grand Illusion / Pieces of Eight Live
Eagle Rock Entertainment
All Access Rating: C
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| Styx - The Grand Illusion/Pieces of Eight Live 2013 |
Styx came into its own in the late 1970s, having
stumbled upon the right mix of soaring progressive-rock bombast and the more
down-to-earth, guitar-driven AOR anthems – like “Renegade” – that punched a
clock, wore a hard hat and paid union dues.
Finding a middle ground proved difficult for Styx, as
Tommy Shaw, feeling his oats, pushed for a direction that was tougher and more
down-to-earth, while Dennis DeYoung favored power ballads and heady theatrics.
That creative tension, when properly harnessed, as it was for 1977’s The Grand Illusion and 1978’s Pieces of Eight, produced magic, even if
the critics scoffed. They didn’t understand, but the people did. That’s who Styx
was speaking to anyway.
This is not the same band. It’s a shell of its
former self, the dramatic flourish of DeYoung’s soaring vocals being missed
most of all, as James “JY” Young and Tommy Shaw try to carry on with a newer
lineup and the occasional appearance of original bassist Chuck Panozzo. What
Styx has become is a Vegas act, living off its past and trading glitz and
glamour for true grit. Or at least it would seem that way from the double CD The Grand Illusion/Pieces of Eight Live they have recently released.
A rather limp document of Styx playing both records
cover to cover at the fabled Orpheum Theater in Memphis on November 9, 2010, The Grand Illusion/Pieces of Eight Live sucks
the sneering venom out of “Miss America,” meanders its way through “Man in the
Wilderness” like a clueless tourist, and sleepwalks it way through
“Superstars.” Concerned more with being a genial master of ceremonies than
singing the material with appropriate panache and vitality, lead
vocalist/keyboardist Lawrence Gowan – his delivery pretentious and forced –
bears much of the blame, but Young and Shaw are in for the lion’s share of it.
For whatever reason, they don’t feel the need to
assert themselves or their instruments here, making for a record that sounds
flabby and weak-willed, even if the melodic grandeur of “Come Sail Away” is as
wondrous as ever, the winning earnestness of “Angry Young Man” comes shining
through, and the pomp and circumstance of title track to The Grand Illusion rises to the level of that which is more often
reserved for royalty. A glossy lacquer of synthesizers certainly suffocates
their guitars, but more than that, they seem satisfied to remain in the
shadows, content to make pretty sonic filament and beautiful harmonies, but
nothing of real substance.
The hope is that Styx would rally during the Pieces of Eight portion of the evening,
and they do to some extent, the lilting, progressive-folk gold of “Sing for the Day”
glowing warmly and “Great White Hope” rocking with more vigor and hunger,
thanks to Todd Sucherman’s rolling avalanche of drums. A bigger test remains,
however, with “Blue Collar Man” and “Renegade,” and Styx falls flat on the
former, playing as if they’re pulling an anchor behind them, before recovering
slightly for a more rambunctious, but still somewhat impotent, version of the
latter.
“Queen of Spades” is where Styx finally seizes the
day, the guitars sharper and more biting, the rhythms more menacing and the
synths adding color and texture rather than fighting for supremacy. And they
traverse more diverse and sonically interesting territory in “Lords of the
Ring” with more purpose, their collective vocals a glorious choir. It’s too
little, too late, though, as Styx appears to be satisfied with reheating old
leftovers rather than presenting its best material in fresh and invigorating
ways. http://www.eagle-rock.com/
– Peter Lindblad
